1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method of treating waste heat from heated laundry machines, the still hot, humid waste air being directed through a heat exchanger and condensate forming in the heat exchanger as the humid waste air cools. The invention also relates to an apparatus for treating the waste air from laundry machines, having a heat exchanger with heat-exchanger plates, with the waste air flowing along the outside of the heat-exchanger plates.
2. Prior Art
In part, considerable quantities of energy, to be precise of heat energy in particular, are required for operating the laundry machines in commercial laundries. This applies, in particular, to mangles, driers and finishers. In order to recover this energy, at least in part, it is known for the energy which is produced or given off during the operation of laundry machines to be directed through a heat exchanger, as a result of which preferably liquid which is required in laundries, for example cold water, is heated up.
The waste heat is humid waste air from laundry machines which has various accompanying substances in it. Such accompanying substances are predominantly constituted by fluff from the items of laundry which are to be treated. However, the accompanying substances may also be residues of mangle wax, detergent or the like. These accompanying substances result, over time, in the heat exchanger being adversely affected. In particular the effectiveness of the heat exchanger suffers as a result.